JAMES THOMAS: Smiles after receiving Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award for Volunteer Service along with other notable recipients during local ceremony Aug. 19 at St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Boynton Beach. ALAN LUBY PHOTO FOR SOUTH FLORIDA TIMES

MIAMI, Fla. – In a career that spans 53 years, WHQT Hot 105 radio personality and program director James T. Thomas, better known as James T., has interviewed some of the biggest icons in the music industry including Barry White, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Destiny’s Child and the Godfather of Soul James Brown.

"HIS CAREER TENURE OF 53 YEARS MAKES JAMES T. VERY DESERVING OF THE ACCLAIMED PRESIDENTIAL LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD."

Thomas also spoke with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi over the airwaves for 50 minutes discussing issues impacting the United States, a segment that drew so many callers that Thomas extended the original time for the interview from 10 minutes to nearly an hour.

But Thomas has made even a bigger impact in the community for years, such as with his namesake celebrity golf challenge to raise funds to promote mentoring and role modeling in education learning and life skills that benefits the Lauderdale

Lakes Middle School Community Read Program and Mt. Olive Baptist Church Mentoring Program.

He created the South Florida Black Awards Program to Salute Black Achievers in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Thomas, 74, may be synonymous with radio juggernaut but his tireless work in the community has earned him the 2023 Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors citizens who volunteer their time in their communities.

Thomas and other honorees were given the red carpet treatment, dinner and entertainment in Washington D.C. and took home medallions and certificates that recognized their achievements.

"My first reaction was what is a lifetime achievement and what does it mean?" Thomas told the South Florida Times. "I have been in the radio and promotional business for 53 years and I made a commitment to volunteer in the community. But what is a lifetime achievement award?"

Thomas’ other volunteer work includes creating the South Florida Black Awards Program to Salute Black Achievers in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach Counties, and working with nonprofits such as the Boys and Girls Club, the Embrace Girls Foundation which gives young girls a head start on success with afterschool programs. He’s director of the Roots Cultural Festival in Delray Beach.

Thomas has accumulated more than 4,000 hours of service while also focusing on his radio career. He said the Presidential Award is an honor but an award is not necessary because he loves to volunteer and help people get a head start in life.

"Getting a lifetime achievement award from the president of the U.S., how about that?" Thomas said. "I share this with my children; Don’t look at what you see, look at what’s within you."

Cox Media Group, which owns WEDR 99 Jamz and WHQT Hot 105, said in a statement that Thomas’ professionalism, work ethic, business acumen, wisdom, acts of support and need to serve others attitude in his role as radio personality, program director, and on-air talent has produced "his career tenure of 53 years and makes James T. very deserving of the acclaimed Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award."

Jerry Rushin, former general manager at WEDR 99 Jamz who hired Thomas, said he stopped by the HOT 105 studio to say hello when he learned his friend was receiving the award.

"James has served our communities so well for so many years and he deserves all the accolades,” Rushin said.

Thomas is on the airwaves Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., playing music from different generations, the mix music hour, sharing public service announcements and interviewing recording artists and national and local dignitaries.

Thomas starts off the noon hour with a prayer led by members of the church community and the inspirational song of the day. He created the segment when he was the program director for WEDR 99-Jamz in Miami from 1990 to 2003, and kept it going when he joined HOT 105.

Thomas started his radio career at Palm Beach Community College as a journalism student, and after spending some time in Boynton Beach as a jock and host of an afternoon teen show, joined WRBD/WCKO in Fort Lauderdale as news and sports director in 1971.

He also worked as the weekend entertainment/public service talks show for WPTV Channel 5 in West Palm Beach.

Thomas’ first stint with WEDR was in 1982 as an on-air talent for the James T. Morning Show in Miami.

Outside radio, Thomas said his vision also included promoting Black recording artists and jocks. He launched James T. Entertainment and Management Inc. in the early 1980s, entertaining people in clubs and other shows from Pompano Beach and Delray Beach to Clewiston.

Thomas said one of his biggest promotional projects was Janet Jackson when she launched her singing career, performing at Fort Lauderdale’s Lockhart Stadium in 1981 with then up-and-coming talent New Edition.

Thomas said Jackson did so well that she was asked to perform in several shows in the Bahamas.

"We did several nightclubs and then we took her to the Bahamas," Thomas said. "Taking artists to Florida and out of the state to perform I have love for other than radio. But it turned out that radio was my love."

While taking some time off the radio, Thomas said he got a call from Rushin who offered him the programming director position in 1990.

When Thomas took over, the station was No. 17 in the Miami market but jumped into a tie for No. 1 with WHQT Hot 105 during his tenure.

Thomas said he created the WEDR 99 Jamz trademark but Rushin feared it would draw a lawsuit from a station in Orlando that bore the same name. "They have 99 Jams, but I wanted us to have 99 Jamz," Thomas said.

When Cox Media bought the two radio stations in 2003, it changed the format for WEDR 99 Jamz to an all hip hop station.

Thomas disagreed with the decision.

"My vision is for a radio station to have music for every generation," Thomas said. "Jerry Rushin asked me will I do rap and hip hop and I wasn’t going to do that."

So, Thomas moved over to HOT 105 which reflects his vision for a radio station.

"All of this is serving the community that we reach, empowering and enriching people who listen to us," he said. "It’s not just for the Black community anymore. We have diversity in Miami and we have the formula for how to serve a diverse community with such a platform."

Thomas recalls vividly a surprise visit by Grammy-award winner Barry White in the 1990s. He said White left him several messages that was in town and wanted to stop by the radio station to promote his new album.

Thomas thought it was a prank caller but when White entered the studio, Thomas was flabbergasted. He interviewed White but regretted he didn’t record the segment after White sang over the airwaves.

"I beg people on air that if anyone recorded it, please can I have a copy of it," he said. "I wish I had a recording till this day."

He also interviewed Whitney Houston, LL Cool J and MC Hammer when they came to town.

Thomas said another music icon, Prince, invited him and 19 other U.S. radio program directors to Paisley Park in Minneapolis, Minn. to see if they would support him and his music if he put it on the internet after he left Warner Brothers Records.

"We said yes," Thomas said.

Paisley Park was Prince’s home and studio, a 65,000 square-feet complex that sits on nine acres, decorated with art, music, fashion and culture. Thomas said the facility is built like a museum which also houses a basketball court and a nightclub.

"That’s an amazing place."

Thomas also met Prince’s rumored music rival the King of Pop Michael Jackson who performed at Wembley Stadium in London and Paris, France.

After one of the shows, Thomas said a friend was dying to take a picture with Jackson who was sitting a few chairs away from them. Thomas said he asked Jackson’s managers about a possible photo op when Jackson heard him, turned around and said of course.

"That was a great experience," Thomas said.